2008 Subaru Tribeca Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 2about this part
- Share
- 14%of 14 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 134,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2008 Subaru Tribeca, 14% of the 14 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 134,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“The contact owns a 2008 Subaru Tribeca. While the vehicle was parked, the contact observed smoke coming from the front driver's side of the vehicle. There were no flames visible. The fire department was called to the scene, but was unable to determine the source of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and it was diagnosed that the wiring to the driver's side puddle light had overheated and was burnt. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …”
NHTSA complaint #11101199, filed 2018-06, 134,000 miles“This car was shaking at a speed of 60 miles. After taking it to check in seattle's carter Subaru washington five times, the car became vibrating at a speed of 40 miles. A day after it departure, it was shipped to tampa florida because of my university. Upon receipt the car was oil-free, and all the safety lights were caught. The car started to vibrate, and there was no longer enough capacity to push and the tires began to fall. Mastro Subaru refused to fix the problem except by paying money. …”
NHTSA complaint #11003850, filed 2017-07Related recalls
- 12V602000Dec 26, 2012Subaru is recalling certain model year 2010 and 2011 Legacy and Outback vehicles, certain model year 2006 through 2012 Tribeca vehicles sold before January…Covers: Subaru Tribeca 2006–2011, Forester 2009–2012, Outback 2010–2011 +2 more
Related service bulletins
- 10085114Mar 15, 2013"the following information is intended to provide further clarification of the proper claims procedures to follow when a vehicle comes in to your service department for the…
- 10085003Mar 6, 2013"in order to remove the display of an open recall on the wqe99 program (optional puddle lights) that was used for vehicles that may or may not have puddle lights, the wqe99…
- 10083701Feb 19, 2013The optional genuine subaru puddle light recall has now been released. Owner notification letters were mailed today. Effective today, tuesday, february 19, 2013, all claims…
- 10083646Feb 19, 2013"subaru has determined that affected vehicles equipped with optional genuine subaru puddle lights may develop a short circuit and cause the related components to overheat and…
- 10235882Feb 1, 2013Optional Genuine Subaru Puddle Lights
- 10080094Jan 15, 2013Subaru has determined that affected vehicles equipped with optional genuine subaru puddle lights may develop a short circuit and cause the related components to overheat and…
- 10235881Jan 1, 2013Preliminary Inspection and Repair Procedure for Puddle Light Campaign WQE-41
- 10233125Dec 27, 2012New Subaru Recall Campaign: Optional Genuine Subaru Puddle Lights
Exterior lighting: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | 14% |
| 2006 | 2 | 22% |
Other parts of the 2008 Subaru Tribeca
6 complaintsSteering
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsBrakes
1 complaintsElectrical system
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEngine
1 complaintsEngine cooling
1 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSuspension
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Subaru Tribeca
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology